By T’Reyah Johnson
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
After 35 years of experience on stage and screen, Clarence Gilyard Jr. visited Towson University recently to discuss the positives, negatives and missteps of his life as teaching tools for artists looking to follow in his footsteps.
Gilyard hosted an event open to everyone called The Actors Studio Q/A with Clarence Gilyard Jr. on Friday, Nov. 22. The audience of students and faculty gave glowing opinions about his roles in Die Hard as “Theo” and in Walker, Texas Ranger, where he played Chuck Norris’ partner “Jimmy.”
“In this industry, you have to say ‘Yes’ a lot, but at the same time, having the ability to say ‘No’ is my biggest weapon,” said Gilyard, explaining to an African American student who wanted to know his experience in the movie industry as a “male person of color.”
Gilyard shared his experiences during his first casting call and stressed that there will be times “where your skin will determine if you get a role or not.” He added that not all experiences are just about race. In fact, he said he and his manager agreed that Gilyard would not do any role that was stereotypical to black males in a negative way, such as a drug dealer.
The 63-year-old Gilyard was born in Moses Lake, Washington, but spent his childhood on military bases in Hawaii, Texas, and Florida. He said he began his acting career working in a children’s theater. After joining the cast of the play “Bleacher Bums,” Gilyard became the first African American actor to play the role of the cheerleader.
Currently, Gilyard is an associate professor in the College of Fine Arts, Department of Theatre at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He said his job involves having to look at where students are in their minds, where they are in their life, and where they dream of going. This is how you help them find their character, Gilyard said, who also taught a class at Towson.
Gilyard said life changes quickly in the industry. As an example, he told how one night he was out playing tennis when he missed a call from his manager. After several missed calls later, he said the manager finally got in touch with him and urged him to rush down to a specific address for an audition. The manager thought Gilyard had waited too late, but he made it in time to audition. The part was to play a terrorist in a movie, a job he gladly accepted and earned $40,000. He said his whole life switched just like that.
“This is an actor [who] got his fame by playing a cop,” said Teresa Spencer, an assistant professor in Towson’s Acting Department.”
Spencer, who said she has been working with Gilyard, boasted of his mission at Towson.
“He came and reminded the students to slow down and look for the depth of telling a story, don’t get stuck on the costumes and the spectacles,” she said, noting “It has inspired me as a professor as well.”
Towson student Katy Pendergas participated in the class taught by Gilyard and described the experience as “amazing.”
“He taught me a lot about technique, as a merging actor it’s important because I am struggling at a young age to figure out other techniques,” Pendergas said.
Gilyard attended Sterling College in Kansas. After his success as an actor, he has provided financial support to the school, including paying for new tennis courts.
Success for Gilyard was assured once he embraced his uniqueness.
“At a young age, I learned to embrace the concept of quality,” he told the crowd. “Everyone has a unique quality that makes [him or her] different, and it is our responsibility to find and embrace that quality in order to succeed.”